


The Lonely AU

by ShinyZorua



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Drowning, Fluff and Angst, I can't let my babies suffer forever, I swear, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sort Of, also sort of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-04
Updated: 2017-10-24
Packaged: 2018-12-23 21:38:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11998452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShinyZorua/pseuds/ShinyZorua
Summary: Continuation of this (crappy) PMV/animatic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDk3xmAPWsMAU in which Max has a creature that follows him around and that no one else can see. The creature was of help to him, or to listen and comfort him. But one day, a couple day after Parents' Day, something goes wrong. Max ended up in the cold Lake Lilac as his "friend" would watch him drown.An angsty fic about freaked-out counselors and kids.





	1. Descent

Max laid in his bed, head buried in his pillow. He couldn’t forget. He kept thinking about them. His parents. Everything had been going so well, after Parents’ Day, but he kept thinking about them. It kept him from sleeping the last night, just as this one. He turned around to lay on his back, not knowing what to do next. 

A barely-hearable buzzing sound entered his ears, and he directly knew what that meant. A shadow walked closer and entered his tent. Slate. He glanced over at the creature, or whatever he was, and then back up. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Slate moving his hand. 

Suddenly, a couple seconds later, he felt a cold rush go through him, starting in his right arm. He looked at his arm and could see a claw holding it, that was connected to Slate. He looked up at him, he didn’t remember if Slate ever made physical contact with him, but this felt weird. Slate dragged Max up, who was surprised, and the creature dragged him outside. Max was stumbling and swore as he was dragged by his arm as they passed the Councelors Office. Shit, he needed to be quiet. 

They stopped at Lake Lilac. The sky was bright and the stars were reflected in the water. Any other person would adore the view, but right now, Max couldn’t. All he saw was cold, dark water. Slate still held his hand. 

He felt another cold rush go through him, again, starting where Slate held his arm. Memories of his parents, over his house and over camp came flooding in. In all memories Slate had been present. Slate has fixed many problems for Max. Or, well, he helped Max to fix them. He guided him, and as he could see the lake again, he wondered what Slate had in store for him. How he was going to help him. 

 

David woke up when he heard someone outside. Footsteps were fading and David slowly got up. He looked at the clock. 2:02. Who would be out this late? He stood up as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He was tired from today. No, wait, that was yesterday already. It was passed 12. 

He shook the thought off. It was not important. He was still a bit drowsy but got outside nonetheless. He looked around, scanning the area for any signs of campers wondering in the night. Then, he spotted someone. Max. He was looking at the lake, standing still. 

Max had been relatively quiet the last days. The day after Parents’ Day, he had been sitting in the woods, talking to himself. David could hear him saying “can’t do anything right, I should just-“ and quickly stopped when David took another step. He must have heard him. After a couple moments, David walked away, thinking about what he just heard. He was having some thoughts back then, but he pushed them in the back of his head for the time being. Since then, Max had become more and more quiet. It was unsettling for David. This wasn’t Max. Not the one from a week ago, or three-no, four days ago, at Parents’ Day. 

He had been concerned back then. But now that has been doubled. The thought that he had back then, that he pushed away, came back as he looked at Max, who was staring at the lake, not moving a muscle. A couple seconds later, he moved. No, what was he doing? Was he doing what he was thinking he was doing?

 

Max looked at Slate, who had his eye closed, and then opened it. Without a warning, Slate walked towards the pier, dragging Max with him. The only thing Max heard was the sound of his feet hitting the wood underneath him, besides the continues soft buzzing that is. They kept walking until they reached the edge of the pier. Max looked at the water and then at Slate, who was looking down at him. He nodded and looked at the water, Max following his example. 

He stared in the deep, and a calmness entered his mind, while Slate’s hand still held him. He didn’t hear anything anymore. Not the water, not the buzzing, not the animals, not the man screaming his name. Nothing. He closed his eyes and raised his one foot. 

 

‘Max!’ David was running as fast as he could, the tiredness immediately leaving his body. ‘Max! Stop, please!’ No, why was Max doing this? Thoughts raced through his mind as he rushed towards boy. David would give his life for his campers, for all of them, without a doubt. But Max, he had been through so much, David couldn’t even imagine! He didn’t deserve this, why did this have to happen to HIM? 

_Why not me,_ something inside him said, but he ignored him. The small boy was suddenly falling, disappearing in the water as tears formed in David’s eyes. ‘MAX!’

 

Max took a deep breath and let himself fall in the water. As soon as he landed in the water, the cold hit him. He could think again. 

Well, sort of. 

His mind was racing. He needed to get out! But he was already sinking. He turned to look at Slate, while he tried holding his breath, but failing. The whole world around him was slowing down, including his thoughts. Everything faded as he kept his eyes on the creature above him. He could just make out Slate fading, as a figure leapt through it and into the water.  
He swore he knew that person from somewhere…


	2. Drift

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> No one deserves to fade away. No one should come and go, and have no one know, he was ever even here.  
> No one deserves to disappear. 
> 
> One counselor isn't enough. We also need our brains in this situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> David is a poor boi give him some hugs

Gwen had woken up when she heard someone yelling. After a couple seconds, she was pretty sure that it had been David. But his voice was panicked. Something was wrong. It took about 30 seconds, but she managed to get up and put on a jacket as she walked outside. She looked around when she saw a figure walking out of the lake. 

For a moment, she yelled, thinking it might have been some kind of sea monster or zombie, but then calmed down as she saw that it was David. But not even a second later, she realised that no, she can’t calm down! David is in trouble! As she started running, the figure sat down, a couple meters from the water, holding something. 

No, someone. Shit, it had to be one of the kids. 

 

David’s whole body was freezing. He had dragged the tiny camper out of the water, who started coughing violently. David had sighed, relieved after hearing that the boy was still breathing. When he had put the boy down, Max slightly opened one eye, but shut it after a second or so. Max was tired, he knew it. 

The boy was shaking violently, and David quickly pulled off the jacket he was wearing. He put it on Max, and after a couple seconds, the shaking had lessened a little bit. Max… why did you do that? He thought as he pulled the boy closer to him, sharing the warmth of his body with Max’s. David was crying again. He could have lost him, there and then. He had to protect the boy, no matter what.

 

‘David!’ 

The shaking figure looked around when he saw Gwen. Shit, he was crying, she thought. He had been facing the lake, so that could Gwen only see his back. She still had no idea what kid was hurt. Or what happened, in that case. 

She kept her eyes at David, trying to understand what was going on. He was smiling sadly for a second, as he then looked at the small kid in his arms. Gwen stood next to David and then saw Max. He was soaking wet, just like David, and he didn’t move. Was he alive? She quickly fell on her knees, taking a closer look at the boy. 

‘He’s breathing,’ David said, voice hoarse and shaky. She looked at him and then back at the kid. ‘I-I think he’s sleeping.’ David’s face softened as he looked at the boy. 

Gwen did too, and felt something inside her break a little. He was so, so weak now. He was laying in David’s arm, (which he would never do by the way, like ever,) completely still, apart from his chest slowly rising slowly. She carefully moved the hair away from his face and looked at David, who was shaking while embracing the young boy. 

She quickly pulled off her jacket when she saw that David didn’t have one. She put it over his shoulders, even though he declined it. David could be so stubborn sometimes… She sat down next to him, not sure what she can do to help David or Max. 

‘What happened, actually? Did he try and use a makeshift raft again? Or did he slip or something?’ She immediately regrets asking that. David held the kid tighter and closed his eyes. But she needed to know. She put her hand on his shoulder, asking, ‘David, what’s-‘ 

‘HE JUMPED!’ Gwen blinked a couple times as David seemed to break down. She didn’t get it. Jumped, what? ‘What do you mean David…’ 

After a couple seconds, he took in a deep, as he kept shaking. ‘He jumped off the pier, by himself…’ Gwen’s eyes widened as she looked at the boy. No, no no no… 

‘D-David? Are you sure that’s what happened? Are you sure that he-he didn’t slip?’ David started shaking his head. ‘I-I saw it all, he stood at the lake, (deep breath) looked at the water, w-walked onto the pier, he didn’t slip, Gwen!’ His voice went from miserable to furious for a second. 

 

He didn’t mean to yell at her, he really didn’t! His face drooped and he closed his eyes, lowering his head. ‘m sorry,’ he muttered softly, and he felt a hand on his shoulder. Then they realised that they were not alone. 

 

Neil had woken up from hearing Gwen yell. He had fallen out of bed from the shock but quickly picked himself up, literally and figuratively. He quickly went outside and it took some time to look around. He heard another yell in the distance. Gwen had yelled for David. What was wrong? Would it be best to just stay in his tent and let the adults deal with it? No, of course not, he said to himself. Gwen and David messed things up, many times. 

He got to where the yell came from, slowly making his way over there. It seemed best to not just jump in a situation. It was dark, he was alone, and something was not right. Caution before anything. 

He quickly realised that it came from Lake Lilac and went that way. Some figures were sitting on the side, just a couple metres away from the water. He quickly recognised Gwen, as he knew she had to be there. Then he saw David, and he quickly went their way. 

‘HE JUMPED!’ Neil stopped as soon as he heard that. He could see the dark, fluffy hair of his friend Max behind David, but it was soaking wet. David was too. Then the links all came together. 

David. Max. Laying down in David’s arms (which he would never, EVER, do). Dripping as if he just swam in the lake. David shivering, crying. Max. He had jumped. 

Neil shook, was this really happening? Had his friend, Max, committed suicide? He came back to reality when David yelled angrily. The man’s head lowered and he muttered softly. Neil couldn’t just stand by. He needed to see his friend. He reached out and put his hand on David’s shoulder.

 

David expected Gwen to put the hand on his shoulder, but when he looked at her, her eyes were wide. He then realised that the hand was too small to be hers. It must be one of the campers. 

‘M-Max…’ Neil. Gwen quickly stood up and put her hands around him, trying to comfort him before he would freak out. ‘Shh, he’s alive, don’t worry Neil,’ and things like that she said to the boy. The boy had calmed down and Gwen let go, Neil directly falling to his knees to look at Max. 

Yes, he was breathing. Good. But he had jumped. Tried to end it all. Why had he? 

‘D-Did you hear us?’ David asked, hoping that the boy would say no. He was out of luck. ‘He jumped…’ Neil held his friend’s hand. It was cold. 

‘W-We need to get him inside, it’s too cold out here.’ When David heard that coming out of Neil’s mouth, he realised how cold he had been himself. The Counselors Office was warm. He had plenty of spare blankets there. Yes. Going inside would be good. Gwen helped David get up after Neil had let go of Max’s hand, and they walked back to the camp.

‘Neil, can you and Gwen get Max’s bed and take it to the Counselors Office? Can you put it in my room? You know, if he, tries anything…’ He looked away as his voice grew softer, but he could see Neil nodding in the corner of his eye. He and Gwen went to Max and Neil’s tent while David got inside. 

He sat the boy down on a chair and grabbed a huge towel, carefully wrapping Max in like a burrito. If he tried to get away, he would squirm and most likely swear so David could hear him when something got wrong. He then grabbed a smaller towel and dried the boy’s face. After that, he wrapped his hair in the towel, as he knew it would take some time to dry. 

Neil and Gwen walked in, dragging the bed with them. They had Max’s bag, pillow and blanket with them, and, most importantly, Mr Honeynuts. They placed the bed on the other side of David’s room, making the bed ready when David arrived with Max in his arms. David had seemed to calm down, which automatically calmed down the others too. Mostly Neil. 

David tucked the boy in, with Mr Honeynuts beside him on the pillow, and brought back Neil to his tent. 

‘David?’ the boy asked, at which David responded with a ‘Yes Neil?’ ‘I won’t tell anyone about this. But you must inform me if something happens. I want to help. I-I don’t understand why this all happened, but still.’ The boy looked at David with pleading eyes. David sighed and ruffled his hair, a smile on his face. His campers could be really nice… ‘Of course, Neil. I already planned on doing that. I mean, you did help after all…’ Neil felt a little better after this. 

‘Thanks, David,’ he said, as the counselor responded with a soft ‘Always, Neil, always…’

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally, the last sentence was going to be 'No, thank YOU, Neil, thank you...' and 'You too, Neil, you too...' but it just sounded weird in my head.


	3. Ascend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our little goofball's here again. Also fuck you Slate. I made this character and hate him. How???!??

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will probably be the end of the uploading spree. I don't know when I'll upload the next chapter, but probably in a couple days.  
> After that, think about something like 1 update a week (maybe less 'cause school hates me. Not the teachers, just school. I'm pretty much a teacher's pet unless if it means getting innocent peeps in trouble).

Neil woke up when Nikki rocked him awake, telling him about this amazing bug that she found and that he just HAD to see. Neil sat up and looked at her. When she wanted to wake up Max, she realised that his bed was not here. Nor Max himself. 

She looked at Neil again, head tilted like a dog. ‘Where’s Max?’ Neil rubbed the back of his head as he remembered the last night. ‘Oh, um, he was moved by David,’ he quickly said.  
At least he wasn’t lying. ‘Really? Why? Has he almost killed someone again?’ Neil gripped the sheets tightly. ‘Don’t know, Nikki,’ he said a second or two later, ‘Ask David or something.’ Nikki nodded and ran out of the tent. 

When Neil was ready, he got to the mess hall to eat. While he was there, he saw David walking in, a smile on his face as he looked at the campers. Sometime later, as Nikki was done eating after she had accidentally crushed the bug, she walked up the David and tugged at his shirt. 

‘Where’s Max? Neil told me that I had to ask you.’ The counselor looked at Neil who raised his hands as he started panicking, not knowing what to do. ‘Uh, Max is, just really tired. He was out all night and couldn’t sleep in his tent.’ Neil sighed as he heard David say that. But Nikki was not done. ‘Why? He sleeps there every night!’ David looked around, hoping to find an answer. 

‘Well, Nikki, my dear camper, he was, uhm, bothered by Neil! Yes, Neil was sneezing the whole night, so I moved Max! Yes, that’s definitely what happened!’ David smiled widely, half because he actually made that up, half because Nikki believed it. ‘Oh, okay. I’m gonna look if I can find a squirrel!’ With that, she ran outside, and Neil sighed. 

David told the campers that today they would get an extra day off, because “he found that they deserved it”. Neil knew better. Neil walked outside and David followed him, telling him that Max was still asleep and that Gwen was looking after him. 

‘Can I check how he’s doing?’ Neil asked. He was pretty sure that Gwen was not the best one to look after Max, but he didn’t say that. ‘Well, of course Neil! Let’s go check on them!’ 

 

Gwen read a book as she sat on a chair next to Max’s bed. He had shuffled in his sleep, but nothing out of the ordinary. 

In the morning, when David and Gwen woke up, they had looked at the program for the day. They would go biking and play some sports that day, like football and tennis, but the counselors decided it would be best to give the campers some time to themselves. Also, because they wanted at least one of them to be around Max for if he tried anything again. 

She had her eyes on her book when she heard a door open. She looked up and saw David and Neil walking in. ‘H-Hey Gwen,’ Neil said, waving at her, ‘Has anything changed while David was gone?’ Gwen put her book away and shook her head. ‘Nah, he moves a little bit, sometimes mutters something, but I think that’s normal, right?’ Neil nodded, he had heard Max swear and mutter in his sleep before, but luckily, he was never loud when he was sleeping, or Neil would have gone in another tent. 

Max slowly shifted in his sleep when they talked, but they did not notice. They talked for some more until they heard a yawn escape from Max’s mouth. 

He heard some talking. 

At first, he didn’t know who it was.  
Then he recognised the voices. Neil, which would be expected, as they shared a tent, but Gwen and David were talking as well.  
_Why were they here?_

He yawned and slowly opened his eyes as he laid on his back. He looked at the ceiling. Wood. Hmm, he slept in a tent, not in a cabin.  
Wait.  
Ohh… that’s why he heard Gwen and David talk! 

He rubbed his eyes, after he freed his hands from the huge towel around him (he had no idea why that was there), and blinked a couple times. It was quiet. That wasn’t normal, was it? 

‘Why the fuck am I here?’ He looked around and saw Gwen sitting next to him in a chair, David sitting on a bed (probably his own) and Neil standing at the end of his bed. He coughed a couple times.  
Strange, his throat hurt.  
When did that happen?

He looked at Neil, who was seemingly nervous. ‘Neil, I’ll ask it again, why the fuck am I here?’ Neil looked away and Max looked at David, who was staring at his shoes. ‘Well? Speak up dumbass!’  
He was getting sick of this.  
What was wrong? Why did they look at him that way? 

‘D-Do you remember, what happened last night?’ David said, voice soft as he looked at Max.  
Last night?  
Did something happen?  
He looked at the ceiling and thought for a moment. Oh, yea, he couldn’t sleep. He was thinking about his parents, that kinda stuff.  
A couple seconds later, he remembered Slate being there.  
Going outside.  
To the lake.  
The memories about his past.  
Walking on the pier.  
The numbness he felt.  
Falling. 

A shiver ran through his body and he let his head fall down on the pillow, hands in his hair as he clenched his eyes shut. He had followed Slate, and jumped in the water. Why did Slate want that from him? His body was shaking, it had been so cold, so dark, so suffocating. He felt a lump in his throat. That’s why he was here. He was saved, and now they were all concerned about him. 

_They probably thought I was dead._

He then remembered hearing someone talk to him, arms around him.  
The voice was David’s.  
David had saved him from the lake. Gwen must have been there, Neil probably too. Now they were most likely all traumatised, thanks to him… 

After a minute or so, he felt a hand on his shoulder. He opened his eyes and look at Gwen, then at Neil and David. How was he going to explain what happened, he though, worried sick. 

“Hey, yea, I have this cyclops monster following me around, and he took me to the lake and told me to go take a dive for some fucking reason. Oopsie!” No, he was not doing that. They would think that he’s crazy, just like the others did. Or still do. 

‘Max, calm down, it’s alright…’ Gwen must have seen the scared expression on his face. Max took a deep breath and sat up straight, looking at the sheets. 

‘Max,’ David said, voice soft, ‘why did you try and take your own life? Don’t worry, we’re here for you, you can talk to us…’ 

Max turned around when he heard the first sentence. They thought he attempted suicide? The fuck? ‘I didn’t try to kill myself, David,’ he said sternly. David shook his head. ‘Max, I was there, you can tell me. I won’t tell anyone else. Just please, tell-‘  
‘I’m not some depressed teenager, David! I didn’t try to kill myself!’ This time, his voice was louder, he almost yelled. 

David bit his lip. ‘Then why did you fall in the water? You were alone, and I know you didn’t slip!’ 

Shit. 

Should he go for the honest answer, telling them that his invisible friend told him to? Or just make up a lie?  
The second one. 

‘I dropped something in the water and wanted it back,’ he said, voice slightly unsteady. Neil caught on first. ‘Max, please, we need to know!’ He looked at his friend, growling softly. ‘Fine, okay, whatever you want, think that I did that, who cares!’ He jumped off the bed and walked through the door. He was hungry. He thought that he might actually eat what the Quartermaster had made for “breakfast” today.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am thinking about making a small ask-blog on Tumblr for Slate. I want to explore his character more, and I may also make it an ask-blog for another character of mine, but I'm not done with fleshing out that story yet. If I do, I will post the link in the next chapter. 
> 
> Tell me if you want that in the comments. (Comments are always welcome, it shows that people want more and make me want to write more.) 
> 
> Thanks for taking your time to read this :3


	4. Cold hands and burn marks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slate is still here, even if Max doesn't know.

He heard the others walking his way but didn’t turn or look around as he left the cabin and went in the mess hall. There, grabbed a plate and threw some -food- on it, taking it to a table when the others entered the mess hall. Max sighed and took a bite as the others looked at him. 

After he had taken a couple bites, he looked at them and said, ‘Don’t you have some campers you have to control before they burn this whole fucking mess of a camp down?’ He got back to eating and heard Gwen say that she will check on them. Neil sat down next to Max and he looked his way. 

‘What do you want?’ Max asked after he swallowed. Neil looked at the table as David walked into the kitchen, still listening to the conversation. ‘Max, t-tell me, did you, ya know…’ Neil scratched his neck, very uncomfortable at the moment. 

Another shiver went through Max as Neil started talking about that subject again, and his eyes widened when he thought about the cold water.  
The cold, dark water.  
The cold, dark, suffocating water.  
The cold, dark, suffo- ‘Max!’ 

Neil said as he broke Max out of the train of thoughts, ‘Y-You alri-‘ ‘No you moron, I almost drowned in that godforsaken lake!’ Max yelled as he stood up and roughly pushed Neil away. Max left the mess hall and walked into the forest. He wanted to get away from them. He wanted some time alone. 

No, he NEEDED that. 

As he found his favourite place in the woods, or the only place in the woods that he actually liked that is, he sat down under a large pine tree, arms at his side. This is where he and Slate would often talk. 

Well, can you call it talk? Max talked and Slate would be there with him to listen, sometimes nod or shake his head. Max looked at his right, as every time that they talked at this spot, he would sit there. He didn’t come. 

‘Slate?’ he said, softly, hoping that he could ask him why he sent him to the lake that night. 

But nobody came. 

That was weird. If Max needed it, Slate would always come, and he knew that he needed it, but Slate did not appear. ‘You fucking bastard where the fuck are you!’ He yelled out the last words, but then realised that the others might hear him. 

So he kept quiet. He sat there for a couple more minutes when he heard someone come closer. A couple seconds later, David appeared. Max groaned. Why was HE here, of all people? 

 

‘Hey, uh, Max,’ David spoke as he sat a couple meters away from him. He didn’t know what to say. He just needed to make sure that Max was fine. But he knew Max wasn’t fine. David looked around, he knew this spot, just like every other place on Camp Campbell territory, and he knew that this was a good one if you want to talk with someone in private. This was the same place he found Max a couple days ago, when he was talking to himself. Max pulled up his knees and hugged them as he lowered his head and muttered something, and David turned to look at the boy. 

 

Shit, Max thought. He had completely forgotten that David was there, and he had muttered a “Why won’t you help me”, which was meant to be for Slate. He looked at up David, who looked confused. 

‘Max, what do you mean? I do want to help!’ David sounded desperate. Max shook his head. ‘Didn’t mean to say that. Just came out, I guess. Don’t bother…’ He looked to his right, wondering if maybe, just maybe, Slate had appeared. 

He wasn’t lucky this time. 

David must have seen the disappointment in his eyes as Max put his head on his knees. ‘Max, I’m right here, tell me what you need!’ 

_Tell him what I need._

He thought about that for a moment. What DID he need? Slate, the one who would help him with all his problems, listen to everything he said without judging him, bringing him comfort. But, then why did Slate put him through all this? He was at a loss. 

Max shook his head, ‘I don’t know’, and closed his eyes. He heard David sit next to him, on the right, and looked at the counselor. He was worried. Max looked away and he felt someone take his right arm. 

He quickly yanked it away, hissing, as it felt like it burned. It had been the same spot that Slate held last night. Max’s arm was exposed as he didn’t have his hoodie on. He felt David’s eyes burning in the red spot. ‘Max, when did you-‘ 

‘FUCK OFF DAVID!’ Max stood up and slowly walked off, looking at the red mark. He hadn’t realised it was there, but it was very red. And it HURT. 

He bit his lip as he rushed towards one of the faucets that was placed outside. He turned the handle and a small stream of water came from the faucet. He had to cool it down or it would hurt ten times worse than this later on. 

But as soon as the burned spot hit the water, he yelled and held it back. He held back the tears at the pain as he hissed. He had closed his eyes and sat there for a couple moments until the worst pain had faded. He turned the faucet off and slowly stood up to get his hoodie, but stopped as he saw Gwen with a shocked expression. 

‘Max, everything alright?’ she said as she ran up to him. He quickly moved his arm behind his back. ‘Uhm, yea, just fell, nothing special.’ Gwen looked at him suspiciously, scanning his body. 

‘Give me your arm,’ she said sternly after a couple seconds, and Max took a step back. ‘W-Why Gwen?’ He tried to act like nothing was wrong, but that backfired. ‘Max, give me your arm, now,’ Gwen said as she loomed over Max. ‘Stupid fucking shitty counselor’ Max muttered as he gave her his hand. 

Gwen sat down on her knees and looked at the arm. She quickly spotted the bright red mark. She looked at Max, but he had looked away, so she softly stroked over the mark with her finger, earning a hiss from Max. She held on to his hand as David arrived. He wanted to say something when they heard someone else. 

‘Hey Max! There you are!’ It was Nikki. The girl ran up to her and Max quickly pulled his arm away from Gwen to hide it behind his back. ‘What are you guys doing?’ she asked as she tilted her head slightly. Gwen quickly made up an excuse: ‘Max was stung by a bee and we needed to remove the stinger!’ Nikki nodded and grabbed Max’s hand. 

‘Come on Max, Ered is going to show us a new stunt!’ Before Gwen could react, Nikki was already dragging Max to the rest of the kids. ‘Should we go after him?’ Gwen asked David, who shook his head and smiled. ‘This will be good for him!’ 

When Nikki was done dragging him around and let go of his hand, Max looked around to see all the other kids looking up at Ered. ‘Look Max, she’s going to do it!’ Max looked at Ered as she drove down the ramp. She got launched into the air when she reached the other side of the ramp, and did a double twist. She landed safely on the ramp and jumped off at the other side as the kids around Max cheered. 

Well, it was very impressive, that’s for sure. Not that he would actually tell her that, of course, so he just held up his thumb when Ered looked at them. 

Max looked at his right and saw Neil, who looked back at him. Before either of them could say anything, Nikki grabbed his and Neil’s hand and dragged them along to go hunt down an angry badger that Harrison had pulled out of his hat earlier.


	5. Could it get any colder?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Words fail, words fail, there's nothing I can say.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You wanted Slate? Here you go ya sicko's!

The rest of the day went by in a flash. To both Max and David. Max had been dragged around, caused some ruckus, the usual stuff. David was happy with that. It was how Max normally acted. 

As the campers got to bed, David spotted Max trying to drag his bed out of the cabin. ‘No no Max, you are staying in the cabin for tonight.’ Max grunted as he looked at the counselor. ‘No way, asshole, I’m not staying here with you and Gwen of all people!’ 

David took a couple steps forward and put the bed in the living room. ‘You’ll stay here tonight, understood?’ David was more stern than usual, but he knew he needed to. Even if he didn’t want to. 

Max grunted and sat down on the bed, head in his hands and elbows on his knees. ‘Why do you have to be such a shithead…’ ‘Language…’ Max sighed and David went back outside to check on the other campers. Max got under the covers and pulled out Mr Honeynuts, holding him close. He was tired. Luckily for him, sleep took over very quickly.

David watched through the window and smiled. 

 

Max woke up when he heard a faint buzzing in the distance. He tried to block it out by putting his head further under the covers, but it didn’t work. It felt like it was in his head. 

He yawned and slowly sat up, looking around the dark cabin. He squinted and could just make out the clock. 

2.01. 

Ugh, it was too early for this. The buzzing didn’t leave. Then, he realised that it had to be Slate. Max was directly awake at that thought. 

_Slate. He could give me answers._

He put on his hoodie and shoes and put Mr Honeynuts under the covers, only to stay still for a couple seconds to try and hear which way the buzzing was coming from. When he couldn’t make out which way it was from, he decided he would go outside. 

When he closed the cabin door behind him, he felt a cold breeze go past him. He shivered slightly but didn’t back down, he needed to know. 

The boy looked around camp and finally spotted Slate’s tail as he walked into the woods. Max quickly followed his friend into the forest. He wasn’t going to their usual place, that was weird… But Max didn’t question it. He never did, so why would he now? 

As he raced through the woods to not lose his friend, he felt the buzzing go stronger. It almost made his head hurt. Almost. 

Eventually, he saw Slate stop and put his claw on a tree. Max slowed down and he saw the creature climbing in. Max hesitated, but he knew that he had to do it. He needed answers. 

So, he climbed in the tree. He was lucky that he had seen Nikki do this like a million times before, so he copied her actions. 

After what seemed like hours, but was only a minute, Max reached the same branch Slate was on. Then he realised, that this was not the same kind of tree as the others. It was probably an oak tree, if he remembered David’s “lessons” correctly. 

Slate was on the far end of the branch, and it didn’t seem to budge. Max frowned and slowly moved forward. 

‘Slate you ass where did you go?’ He was angry, but it had a desperate undertone to it. The creature turned its head towards the boy, patting on the place on the branch next to him. Max hesitated for a moment, but then slowly crawled closer. 

He looked down once or twice, and he didn’t like how high they were. At least 4 or more meters (13 or more feet) but it felt much higher to him. Why did Slate have to pick this place out of all of them? 

The branch swayed under his weight (although it was not much) and when he almost reached Slate, and opened his mouth to ask him about yesterday, the creature stood up in one swift motion. The branch didn’t move under his weight, and when Max quickly got a little closer in an attempt to grab Slate’s foot, he jumped off, leaving Max alone on the branch. 

The branch swayed up and down and up and down and Max held on tighter and tighter. 

‘Slate!’ he yelled, ‘Why the fuck did you do that?! Get me out of here!’ 

The branch stopped moving and Max looked around him. When he heard a soft -whoosh- behind him, he turned his head around to see that Slate was standing on the other side of the branch, closest to the trunk of the tree. 

Max carefully turned around and shot an angry glare at Slate. ‘You idiot why did you do that? I just want to ask you a few questions, that’s all!’ Slate didn’t move from his spot, his eyes only shifted from one of Max’s eyes to the other. 

Stale lowered himself and put his claw on the branch. He lifted the claw, getting ready to strike at the branch, and Max put up his hand. 

‘Slate, wait! What are you-‘ Slate gave him one cold glare and stood up, walking closer to Max. He grabbed the hand Max held up tightly, just not tight enough to hurt. A cold shiver went through Max, almost making him fall of the branch himself. He could grip himself just in time, but Slate’s expression didn’t change. The creature looked at the ground underneath them, Max following behind him, and then looked at the boy again, who returned the glare. 

Max’s body felt like it was going numb, and it took him a lot of strength to hold on to the branch. _Maybe I shouldn’t trust him…_ The numbness faded a little bit. Slate looked at him with an angry glare, then back at the branch, letting go of Max’s hand. 

He raised his claw and before Max could say anything, cut right through the wood. Max screamed out loud and he fell towards the ground as Slate faded away. Running was heard in the distance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Except sometimes, you see everything you wanted,  
> And sometimes, you see everything you wish you had,  
> And it's right there, right there, right there,  
> In front of you, and you want to believe it's true.
> 
> But what if it isn't true?
> 
> You didn't ask for it, but I made it anyway! The official Slate ask blog: ask-malicious-meanies.tumblr.com


	6. It always can

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Have you ever felt like nobody was there?  
> Have you ever felt forgotten in the middle of nowhere?  
> Have you ever felt like you could disappear?  
> Like you could fall, and no one would hear?

He had been woken up by someone yelling. In a matter of seconds, he knew it had to be Max. 

He quickly got outside and listened to the yelling, following the voice. He ran into the woods, trying his best not to trip over the roots and branches. He was still a bit tired, but after he heard Max yell something again, he sped up. Who knows in what kind of trouble he was in now? 

It was quiet for a moment, until he heard a loud yell. He flinched at the loud sound and wanted to turn back, because what if some creature jumps out of the darkness and attacks him, but he didn’t. He took a deep breath and continued. 

About 10 seconds later, he could see Max laying on his back, and a broken branch next to it. He rushed towards Max and sat on his knees next to him. 

‘M-Max, are you alright?’ He earned a soft groan from the boy in response, and Max’s eyes clenched before they slowly opened a little. 

‘Max, what happened?’ He looked at the camper, then at the broken branch and then up again. ‘You were in t-that tree?’ 

Max closed his eyes, groaned again and moved his hand to support himself as he tried to sit up. He was shaking while he did, so he helped him to sit up. He put his hands on Max’s shoulders as his eyes opened again.

 

Everything was black for a moment. Wait, he probably just closed his eyes. When did he close his eyes? 

He slowly opened his eyes, but everything was still hazy. His whole body hurt and he felt heavy. It didn’t help that Neil started talking way too loudly at this moment. 

Shit.   
Neil. He would be completely freaked out by now. 

Max couldn’t really hear what his friend was saying, but it didn’t matter. He tried to sit up, but it was hard as every muscle protested. Luckily, he was helped by Neil. The sudden movement made Max very dizzy though. Closing his eyes, he tried to focus. He felt hands on his shoulder, but didn’t move. He needed to think clearly right now. 

After a couple seconds, he opened his eyes, staring right into Neil’s. 

‘Max, a-are you hurt?’   
_No man, I just fell who-knows how far down, I’m completely fine!_ Max wanted to say a lot of things now, but didn’t.   
Couldn’t. 

After a couple seconds, his head became clear and he could actually think again. ‘Max, I’m going to get David, alright? Stay here!’ 

No. Alone wasn’t good. It meant danger. Before Neil had stood up, Max grabbed his arm, gripping it as tightly as he could at this moment. ‘No,’ was the only thing he managed to get out, as he closed his eyes again. His arms hurt, his legs hurt, his HEAD hurt, everything fucking HURT! A moment later, he felt himself being dragged up, and found himself leaning on Neil’s shoulder. 

‘Alright Max, let’s get you to David…’ Max tried to walk, but before he could even take one step, his legs decided that no, they would decide to not work in his favour. Nah, they’d just sit this one out while Max’s friend dragged him along. Neil grunted but didn’t protest. 

The whole walk to the Counselors Office took way too long for both of them, but they did it. Neil managed to knock on the door without having Max fall, and waited 10 seconds before he knocked again. After around 10 more seconds, the door opened, with a sleepy David at the door who was rubbing the sleep from his eyes and yawning. 

As soon as the counselor saw the boy hanging on Neil’s shoulder, and the exhaustion in both of them, his eyes widened and he was wide awake. 

‘Neil! Max! What happened?’ He quickly took over Max and let Neil in. He, once he saw the nearest chair, fell down on it and rubbed his temples. 

‘God, David, he fell from a fucking tree!’ Max winced at the loud noise and both Neil and David were surprised that he was still awake. He had been silent for most of the walk back, not moving a muscle. ‘Fell from a tree?!’ David whispered, moving towards Max’s bed. ‘Yes, David, oh what do we do?!’ Neil had sat straight up with his hands on the arms of the chair, looking at the counselor. 

A couple seconds later, Gwen ran in the room. ‘Is everybody alright?’ she practically yelled, making Max wince again. Max’s whole body still hurt, and he was completely exhausted. 

As soon as Gwen saw the boy, who was now being put in his bed by David, she took a small step back and looked at her co-counselor. She then saw Neil, tired and a bit dirty from the woods, and then looked back at David. 

The counselor was sitting next to the bed Max was on and put a band-aid on one of his cuts that he earned from the fall. 

‘Max, what happened?’ he spoke softly, not wanting to startle Max again. Max took a deep breath and turned his head towards David as he opened his eyes. ‘Fell out of a tree, dumbass…’ His voice was soft, missing some of its fierceness it normally had when talking to David, which made the others concerned. 

‘Y-Yes, we know that Max, but, what I mean to say is, how did you get in the tree?’ Max’s head started to hurt again as he slowly lifted his hand to rub his forehead. ‘I just want to sleep. Leave me alone…’ David looked at Neil who nodded, so he stood up and after giving Max some medicine for the pain, he brought Neil back to his tent. He thanked Neil for bringing him here and he and Gwen both went to bed. Max was already asleep when David entered the cabin again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, let that lonely feeling wash away  
> Maybe there’s a reason to believe you’ll be okay  
> ‘Cause when you don’t feel strong enough to stand  
> You can reach, reach out your hand
> 
>  
> 
> And oh, someone will coming running  
> And I know, they’ll take you home


	7. Not EVERY activity is so bad... (but he won't admit it)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mostly setup for next chapter, with some more character study and stuff, showing how our favorite campers think about the situation and things alike! 
> 
> Also, hints for what will happen next chapter. It's one of the things I'm trying to work towards, a major event in the story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a little poster thingy I made some time ago, I already posted it on my Slate Ask-blog but I thought I'd put it here just in case! 
> 
> https://ask-malicious-meanies.tumblr.com/post/165441046092
> 
> (This also has some hints for next chapter and I'm curious as to what you'll think about it!)

He blinked one, two times as he realised where he was.  
David and Gwen’s cabin.  
He had started to hate it. 

His back and head hurt a lot and he was still a bit tired, so he turned on his side and closed his eyes. 

He kept thinking about Slate. About yesterday, and the day before. About all the times that Slate was actually nice to him. When he actually helped him. He still wanted to talk to Slate. He wanted to so badly! He needed answers, but he didn’t get them. It was frustrating to say the least. 

After a couple minutes, the door opened and a smiling David entered the cabin. Max groaned and heard David come closer as he put the blanket over his head. 

The counselor lowered himself and gently grabbed the blanket. ‘H-Hey Max, how are you feeling?’ Max sat up and just shrugged as he looked at the clock and saw that it was already time for breakfast. Late, even. He was not hungry though. 

‘Should I get some painkillers?’ David asked, and Max nodded. ‘Yea, whatever, why not,’ he said, not wanting to show that he was actually a bit thankful. David stood up and got a glass of water after grabbing two painkillers from a cabinet. It should have been child-proof, but we all know that Mr. Campbell doesn’t care about that. Max saw David writing something down on a sticky note after giving the painkillers and water to Max, and the boy was sure that it was about those cabinets. 

After Max chucked down the painkillers, he slowly stood up, wanting to see Neil and Nikki. David saw this and walked up towards Max. ‘Let’s get you some breakfast, Max, the Quartermaster has probably worked hard on today’s food!’ Max grunted as he walked through the door, David on his heels. ‘I’d rather eat yew berries but I’m afraid we don’t have them here.’ 

David gasped and put his hands on his sides. ‘Max, yew berries are very poisonous! Well, except the flesh, but the seeds can make you very sick! I’m sure I told you that once during a trip through the forest, but maybe you didn’t hear that...’ Max facepalmed and turned towards David, stopping with walking. 

‘Of course I know, smartass! I’m telling you that the QM’s food tastes like shit, David!’ David gasped again and shot Max and angry (and slightly disappointed) look. ‘Max, you don’t talk about our Quartermaster like that! It’s highly disrespectful!’ 

After Max rolled his eyes, David put on his smile again. ‘Well, it’s your lucky day! After breakfast, we will start cooking camp! We will make lots of nice treats and eat it tonight at a bonfire! I know how much you all like that!’ 

Max’s face almost lit up, but he quickly hid it as he put on his I-don’t-give-a-damn face and shrugged. ‘Alright, better then QM’s cooking.’ 

He was actually a bit excited about this, because it meant that he could actually eat something! No Quartermaster slob, no over- and undercooked meat (which often didn’t look like meat), and no more throwing up and stomach aches! I mean, he hadn’t had that in a long time, because he didn’t eat much if any of the QM’s food, but still! 

As he (and David behind him) entered the mess hall, he could see Nikki and Neil on their usual places, and with a tray of food for Max next to Neil. Nikki was talking about something while stuffing her face with -breakfast-, as Neil took slower bites of his eggs. 

Max retched at the sight but took a deep breath and sat next to Neil. As he sat down, groaning softly as his back protested about the movement, Neil looked at him with a sympathetic look on his face. Oh yea, Neil had been there too. 

‘Uhh, Neil?’ he said, not very loudly as he didn’t want the others to look at him, ‘Thanks, I guess. For yesterday, I mean…’ Neil sighed and nodded, keeping his eyes on Max. 

‘Just, don’t make any more late-night trips without telling us, okay?’ Max rested his elbow on the table, head resting in his hand, as he looked towards the plate and shoved it away. ‘I can’t promise, but I’ll try…’ This answer didn’t seem to please Neil, but he didn’t ask any further, going back to his tray. Max tried some of the -toast-, which was just slightly warm slice for once, and not the sad ashes from an unfortunate piece of bread. He drank his orange juice and listened to Nikki talking, sometimes giving a hum in response. 

 

Finally, breakfast was done. Everything was cleaned up and the kitchen was being prepared, and everybody got a recipe for the food they’d make. Nikki, for example, pancakes, but she needed some help from Neil, as she didn’t know how stoves work. 

But they still had some time. 

Breakfast had been a bit later today, and only Neil, Max and the counselors knew why. Some of the campers did the activities they were actually signed up for, like Dolph, as he was making a painting again, and Ered was doing some “cool” stunts, which Neil only found dangerous and unnecessary. Of course, Nikki didn’t think that way of it. 

Some time later, they started cooking, Neil having to make nacho’s and a fucking _salad,_ because David insisted they’d need some greens to grow up big and strong. In the meantime, he would help Nikki with her pancakes and banana boats. 

He saw that Max was making sandwiches and chili, which he made extra, EXTRA spicy. He had this huge grin on his face as he added more and more spices, and Neil knew he had to stay away from the chili. Something in the back of his mind told him to warn David, but as soon as he did he thought about what kind of face their counselor would be making, and he changed his mind.

As soon as Max was done spicing the chili up, he stopped grinning after looking around, but Neil still saw his eyes shining at his plan. Neil would not disturb him, not now that he was feeling better. 

Nikki was already done with the banana boats, and after putting them in the fridge, they started on the pancakes. ‘This recipe doesn’t have eggs in it, weird…’ Neil said as he looked at the recipe. Nikki looked at it as well and nodded. ‘Weird…’ 

They got to work after _borrowing_ eggs from Nurf, as he needed to make omelettes. Neil taught Nikki how to bake pancakes, and after a couple tries (and failures), she got the hand of it, leaving Neil with working on the salad. Overall, it was fun. They couldn’t wait until the bonfire! Even Max was excited about it!

 

Slate was too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, just to make things clear, 3 lines without text means a POV change. So, after those 3 spaces, it had gone from Max's to Neil's POV. I only used a Narrator POV twice, and I am trying to use it as less as possible! (I mean, my Eddsworld fic is COMPLETELY Narrator POV and now that I've already written so much of it, it will probably stay that way.)
> 
> Also I love Slate like he's my son (because he is :3) but I also facking hATE HIM! Well, hate is a strong word, but like, I know what he'll do, and I know how far he'll go, and boi he is not messing around! 
> 
> (Also, if you want to ask questions, go ahead! I have only had 2 questions (which I REALLY appreciate btw!) but I won't force you to! It's just something that gives you the chance to learn more about his character. It will give some hints to future events, backstory, and just his character overall! https://ask-malicious-meanies.tumblr.com)


	8. Skyfall (part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Campfires can be nice, but OF COURSE Slate has to ruin things.
> 
> Also, you can listen to the song Skyfall (by Adele of course) to get into the same "atmosphere" I was in while writing. You don't have to of course, but it's just a suggestion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who's ready for a surprise update? Not me! 
> 
> I just HAD to make this, but split it up in two chapters to keep you hyped. A bit shorter then usual, as normally I'd try to have at least one page in word in default settings, but because it's a two-parter I thought it's alright for once. 
> 
> Enjoy while our baby Max starts suffering! Again!

After a lot of struggles, burnt food and some small fights between the campers, everything was done. David had put small foldable tables and chairs around the campfire, and after the campers put down their creations on the table and the campfire was put on, the campers were pretty impressed. They made this, after all! 

They all got their plates and filled them up, some more than others. Max, of course, started with some pizza that Ered and Nurf made. It wasn’t so bad actually! He looked at David as he reached to get some of Max’s chili. Max tried his best to keep a grin from appearing on his face as David scooped some of the food on his plate. Most of the campers already knew how hot the chili was, as Neil had informed about it (the snitch), but luckily, David hadn’t noticed. 

He took a bite and after a couple seconds, his eyes widened. His face turned red and it almost looked like steam was coming out of his ears. Max grinned at David, sitting back. ‘And, how’s the chili, _camp man?_ Is it hot enough?’ Max could see that David tried his best to make a smile appear on his face as tears filled his eyes. ‘N-not too hot at all, Max,’ he said, and he coughed afterwards. 

He started breathing like a dog and waving his hand in front of his mouth, as if he would blow out the fire in his mouth. After 30 seconds, he couldn’t hold it anymore and grabbed one of the plastic cups, filling it with milk. He drank it as fast as he could and Gwen casually passed him a piece of bread as she kept her eyes on her plate. David gratefully accepted and started calming down a little while chewing in the bread and chucking down another cup of milk. All the while, Max was laughing hysterically, the other campers joining in. Even Gwen had a smile on her face, although it wasn’t a big one. 

Everything was going smoothly, until Max heard a familiar buzzing sound. He quickly looked around, before he could see Slate on the other side of the campfire. Max flinched for a moment, staring at the creature, until he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Neil’s. 

‘Max?’ He, in response, looked at his right. ‘Uh, yea Neil?’ He saw that Neil was thinking about what to say, but he just said, ‘Oh, nothing,’ as he returned to look at his food. 

Max looked back at Slate, trying to make it not so obvious. Luckily, the others were busy talking. Slate started moving forward and pointed at the pancakes that Nikki made. Max was very confused. What did he have to do with pancakes? Slate give him an angry glare while still pointing at the pancakes. Max looked around, and when nobody was looking, pointed at the pancakes, and then back at him. 

Something in the back of his mind told him not to listen to Slate, that he only caused accidents, but Max couldn’t trust that. _Slate has been my friend for years,_ he thought, _I’ll give him one more chance._

He stood up as Slate nodded, as if he had read his mind. Max put one of the pancakes on his plate and got back on his seat. Slate looked satisfied and came to stand behind Max. The boy cut a piece of the pancake, still a bit uneasy, and held it up on his fork as he looked at it. He smelled at it, and something inside of him told him don’t eat it, when he felt that Slate gently grabbed his hand, leading it towards his mouth. 

As soon as Max moved his hand himself, Slate let go, but Max missed the menacing smile on his face. He took a bite and decided that it wasn’t that bad. It wasn’t good either, but better than the Quartermaster’s food at least. He ate the rest of the pancake and then took a sip from his cup, as he felt Slate’s claw resting lightly on his shoulder. 

Max listened to the others talking, while still on the guard for Slate, when he felt his stomach turn. In the beginning it wasn’t that bad, but a couple minutes, Max started shaking. His stomach hurt a lot and his face started turning red. He grasped his stomach and felt himself go dizzy, and a couple seconds later, he was laying on the ground, his stomach hurting like hell. He could hear gasps and people talking, but it was a bit unclear. He opened his eyes and saw Slate behind Neil, Nikki and David’s heads, smiling widely as Max just realised what had happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ohh the tension! What has happened to Max? I'm curious as to what you'll think happened, give me the theories! I mean, I've been foreshadowing this last chapter, and in the poster-thingy I made, but whatever!
> 
> Also, I posted the original script of the animatic that was part of this work on my Tumblr! Or, well, Slate and mine, who cares! ask-malicious-meanies.tumblr.com
> 
> Wow I keep on advertising my Tumblr why tho


	9. Skyfall (part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Max feels terrible and Gwen is being a good Gwen :3
> 
> *Evil laughter in the distance*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALLY MADE THIS GOD THAT TOOK LONG I AM SOOO SORRY AND IT'S NOT EVEN THAT LONG FORGIVE ME MY LOVELY'S
> 
> Tw: Throwing up

‘WHO PUTS FUCKING EGGS IN PANCAKES!’

The sentence echoed through the air as all the campers became silent. Max had yelled it out loud as Neil had started shaking him. The boy in the hoodie didn’t answer his questions of what was wrong, but after that, he put his hands away. 

Nikki stood on the other side of him, in front of David, and tilted her head slightly. ‘Who doesn’t put eggs in their pancakes?’ Max’s breathing was getting heavier but he still shot Nikki an angry glare. ‘You don’t put eggs in pancakes, Nikki!’ 

After that, he started groaning and closed his eyes as the ache in his stomach became stronger. He felt the food getting back up again and, as he sat on his hands and knees, emptied his stomach as he heard yells and gasps escape from some of the campers and the counselors. 

He started panicking. If he had eaten enough eggs, he might die, or at least get very sick. Everything was going wrong and it was Slate’s fault, but he couldn’t tell anybody. They would assume him to be crazy, insane maybe.   
No. That was not an option.

Gwen was the one to break the silence as she yelled instructions at David, who had been freaking out. The ginger took a couple deep breaths to stay calm and listened to Gwen. ‘Put him on his back, someone get him a blanket! He needs to calm down, I’ll get his meds!’ Max could hear her run off in the distance as he felt himself getting turned on his back, a couple meters away from where he sat just a couple seconds ago. 

He clutched his stomach but released his grip as he felt someone hold his hand, not too tight but not too loose. He tried to relax and focused on the sounds around him, trying to calm his breathing as he heard some of the campers talking to each other, though he could not quite make out the words. They were too far away, or at least, that’s what it sounded like to him. 

A blanket was draped over him by Space Kid, just like Gwen told them, and Dolf was talking to him about something. It sounded like Nerris was trying a healing spell on him, while Ered and slowly all the other campers (besides Nikki and Neil) left to do something else, some of them just not interested anymore, some not knowing what to do in this situation. 

Gwen came back with a syringe and quickly gave Max his meds while he held the blanket tightly. Nobody said anything, all they would hear is the fastened breathing and groans coming from Max. He wasn’t going to cry, no way, even if it hurt like hell and he felt like he could as well die. 

As his breathing slowed down and he felt like he could think a bit clearly again, he opened his eyes and looked around. It didn’t hurt as much as earlier, and he was trying to focus on the faces above him. 

‘It’s alright, Max, just take calm breaths,’ Gwen said in a soothing voice. He nodded softly and closed his eyes as he focused on his breathing, hearing as one of them stood up and walked away. He opened his eyes and could see Neil, deep in thoughts, muttering to himself and his face white and worried. Nikki was looking from Max to Neil and then back, until she stood up and hesitantly followed Neil. Max tried to sit up but Gwen put her hand on his shoulder and shook her head. 

‘Nah kid, you aren’t walking,’ she said as she motioned David to carefully grab Max and take him to the cabin. Max, for once, didn’t want to push him back. Not because he was cold, not because he was too tired, he simply didn’t want it. He was scared and while not showing it, was relieved to not be alone in this. So he let David carry him to the cabin while clinging to his blanket, that was now around his shoulders, and leaning his head against David’s shoulder. _Not gonna cry, not gonna cry…_ His eyes grew damp but tears never fell down, and he was grateful for that. 

 

Gwen was putting away Max’s medicine in the medicine safe and walked to the main hall. Usually, Max knew better not to eat food he didn’t know the recipe of. Heck, he had been doing it all summer! So then, why did he eat those pancakes?

 

Neil was pacing around, one hand under his chin and one hand around his chest. Nikki sat on a rock, looking at a bug that was flying by, seemingly having forgotten on the whole situation 15 minutes ago. Neil couldn’t figure it out. Max was behaving strangely, 3 accidents in 3 days. He could have died. But was he really doing it on purpose? Yesterday and the day before it seemed like he did, but then what could explain what happened today?

 

David was in the cabin, looking at Max as he was laying on his side, muttering something under his breath while holding onto Mr. Honeynuts like a lifeline. Max was not alright, and he was sure of it. But Max would never admit that. David was scared for Max, what stunt he would do next. It was as if something was haunting Max that he didn’t know of. David was at a loss. What could he do to help him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slate is an ass guys don't forget it


End file.
